{"id":26936,"date":"2020-11-04T22:27:13","date_gmt":"2020-11-04T22:27:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/11\/04\/us-forces-participate-in-unitas-exercise-with-ecuadorian-navy-other-regional-allies\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T19:24:34","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T19:24:34","slug":"us-forces-participate-in-unitas-exercise-with-ecuadorian-navy-other-regional-allies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/your-navy\/2020\/11\/04\/us-forces-participate-in-unitas-exercise-with-ecuadorian-navy-other-regional-allies\/","title":{"rendered":"US forces participate in UNITAS exercise with Ecuadorian navy, other regional allies"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The U.S. Navy has teamed up with regional allies to conduct the annual and multinational exercise UNITAS LXI in the Pacific Ocean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercise \u2014 hosted by Ecuador\u2019s Navy near Mantra, Ecuador \u2014 involves allies Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Peru, Uruguay and a total of 13 warships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exercise aims to develop the forces’ ability to carry out joint operations such as littoral warfare, maritime interdiction operations, countering transnational organized crime, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare, among other things, the Navy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe embrace this opportunity to come together, united as one fighting force \u2014 a team ready to defend our strategic and shared interests,\u201d commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson said during the exercise\u2019s opening ceremony, according to a Navy news release.<\/p>\n\n\n\t